Cooling towers



24, 1963 J. A. BOTTNER 3,115,534

COOLING TOWERS Filed Nov. 24, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR gyseph A.Borrner MM, M,M

FIG. 1

ATTO R N EYS J. A. BOTTN ER 3,115,534

COOLING TOWERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WW9 M,

U PH- H I I'IHIIHI Dec. 24, 1963 Filed NOV- 24, 1961 WAR X "mum United States Patent Ofilice 3,ll5,53d Patented Dec. 24, 1953 3,115,534 CUGLHJG TOWERS Joseph A. lllottner, Flushing, N.Y., assignor to Phillips Cooling Tower Co., Inc. Filed Nov. 24, 1961, $81. No. 154,590 3 Claims. (Cl. 26124) This invention relates to cooling towers and has for its object certain improvements in the construction and operation of such towers. The invention relates more particularly to improvements in water cooling towers of the air current cross flow type.

It is customary in the construction of cooling towers to provide for the air cooling of hot water resulting from the cooling or air conditioning of the building in connection with which the cooling tower is used; and reusing the resulting cool water. To this end a body of hot Water from the building is broken up into a plurality of streams, droplets or films of water. The hot Water so divided is then caused to pass downwardly by gravity through what may be called a fill pack or assembly. See, for example, Reissue Patent 21,794 and Patent 2,776,121. These fill packs are formed of a plurality of splash slats spaced horizontally and vertically. They are offset vertically in respect of each other so that the descending hot water drops from one wetted slat to another to form films of heated Water thereon. Currents of cool air are pmsed simultaneously and laterally through the cooling tower between and in contact with the wetted slats and in contact with the water droplets passing downwardly from slat to slat. The hot water is cooled in this manner, is collected in a so-called cold water basin and is reused in the buildings air conditioning system.

Due to the fact that the currents of air pass unidirectionally between and among the splash slats, there is a marked tendency for the descending water to drift laterally in the main direction of the currents of air. For that reason superposed fill packs are employed, and they are usually offset with respect to each other to compensate for the drift of the water.

To economize in space, which is usually at a premium in the construction of a building, such as an oriice buildingor apartment house, a plurality of iill packs is employed, the fill packs themselves usually being offset, as noted, with respect to each other. It is customary to provide an intermediate basin at the bottom of the uppermost fill pack for the collection of the partially cooled water, and then to divert the water directly from that basin across the top portion of the lowermost fill pack, where the water is again subdivided into a plurality of smaller streams or water droplets for further cooling as the water descends through the second fill pack and is brought in contact with lateral currents of cooling air.

While three or more superposed fill packs may be employed to cool the water, the overall height of the cooling tower is held to a minimum for various architectural and economic reasons, including limitation of space and aesthetic considerations. It is important that the hot Wat-e be eificiently cooled in as compact a space as possible. The customary cooling towers leave something to be desired in that direction.

As a result of my investigations, I have discovered that the construction and operation of the cooling towers may be altered in such a maner as to require little or no additional space, and that it has the advantage of cooling the hot water more effectively for reuse in the buildings air conditioning system.

The advantages of the present invention will be better understood, it is believed, by referring to the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the following description, in which FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation, partly in section, of a cooling tower illustrative of a practice of the invention; and

FZG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view or: the mid portions of the upper and lower fill packs of FIG. 1, showing an upper level intermediate basin and a lower level intermediate basin for more effective cooling of the hot water.

Referring first to FIG. 1, it shows what may be called a dual assembly. That is to say, the tower includes two pairs of superposed fill packs. The first pair to the left is shown in dotted outline and they are offset in respect of each other. The fill packs are enclosed in a housing ill resting on a foundation 12. Hot water inlet 14 commuicates with the top portion of the upper fill pack.

The details of construction for the fill packs to the left will not be described in detail because a similar set can be seen to better advantage the open sectional view to the right of FIG. 1. That portion of the drawing shows an upper ill pack 15 and a lower fill pack is, the two being offset with respect to each other, in the manner shown. Hot water inlet 14 extends through a splash box cover 2i) of a splash box 22. This in turn communicates with a hot water basin 24 extending laterally over the top of upper fill pack The basin is provided with an overllow conduit 25. The bottom of the hot water basin is provided with a plurality of spaced conduits or passageways Zd for the distribution of the hot water across the top portion of fill pack 16.

In the instant construction the right side portions of fill packs id and are provided with slanting and s, aced splash boards 32.. These are intended to help confine the descending water in its pack, as well as direct the air across the pack. The left side of the fill packs, still referring to PEG. 1, is provided with a plurality of slanting and spaced eliminator boards 34-, which are also employed to confine the water to the fill packs, as well as direct air toward the discharge chamber.

Each tower is provided with at least one fan 38, preferably centrally disposed. The one shown is provided with a drive gear and the entire fan structure is mounted on coil spring mounts 22 which function as vibrator eliminators. As shown in 1, an air discharge chamber disposed centrally of the housing, directly below the fan, so that passage of heated air currents from the fill packs toward the fan is not impeded.

Still looking at the right hand portion of FIG. 1, it will be seen that housing ltl is provided with a plurality of spaced wd slanting corrugated louvers These help to divert streams of cool air 48 into the housing where they pass laterally through the till packs. The air emerges on the far side of the packs as heated currents 5t). Since the fan is operated as a suction fan, the currents of air leaving all of the fill packs are caused to pass into air discharge chamber 44, to rise upwardly through fan guard housing 5.2, and through hot air outlet 54 into the open atmosphere. Looking at FIG. 1, it will be appreciated that so far as the construction to the right is concerned, the currents of air move uni-directionally, from right to left, causing the descending water to gravitate from right to left. The reverse is of course true as to the construction to the left of FIG. 1 (and FIG. 2).

While no claim is made to the fill packs per se, their construction is shown to better advantage in FIG. 2, which is an enlarged view. in general they comprise a plurality of elongated horizontally disposed slats 6h spaced horizontally and vertically and in offset relationship vertically to each other. it will be appreciated that water drops from slat to slat, forming a film of water on all exposed slat surfaces. This assures good heat-exchange relationship between the moving cool air and the moving films of water. As the water drops through the spaces between superposed slats it is of course also brought into cooling contact with the moving currents of air.

While also shown in FIG. 1, the invention is more clearly illustrated in FIG. 2. An intermediate upper level water basin 62 is located directly below fill pack 16, extending completely under the pack so as to catch all water 64 descending through the pack. A weir 66 is provided at one end of the pack to dam up the water and so that water from the basin may overflow as a layer or sheet 6%. It is unnecessary to describe the construction of the basin in detail except to note that it is confined by four side walls and a bottom, and is open at the top.

Currents of cool air 48 are drawn completely and continuously across the top surface of the body of Water 64, emerging as heated currents of air Since the surface of the body of water undergoes continuous change, due to the overflowing layer 68 of water across weir 66, a continuous heat interchange relationship is established w 'ch further cools the water that has dripped down from slats 6h. Not only is there this direct heat interchange, but an indirect heat intenchange likewise takes place between the structure of the basin and the moving cool air. The air is moved continuously over the outside surfaces (side walls and bottom) of the basin, thus implementing the cooling of the water in the basin.

An intermediate lower level Water basin 72 is located directly above fill pack 18, and in part directly below and spaced from upper level water basin 62; as shown, in order to effect further cooling of the water. The lower basin is likewise defined by four side walls, a bottom and an open top. Since fill packs 16 and 18 are otfset with respect to each other, the lower basin extends only partly under the upper basin. This is to compensate for the drift of the Water in pack to to the left, in FIG. 2. Water 64 from the upper basin flows over weir 66 into the lower basin to form an intermediate second body of water 74. The bottom 76 of the lower level basin is provided with a plurality of spaced conduits or pass-ageways 77 for the movement of the partially cooled water to fill pack 18. An overflow conduit 78 is integrally secured to the bottom of the basin. It functions to prevent water 74 from rising above a predetermined level, any excess water flowing through the conduit directly into fill pack 18. End 5% of the basin is open at its top, or is provided with a opening or openings 82 for the passage therethrough of cooling air.

As indicated, body of water 74 is continuously formed and a portion thereof continuously descends into fill pack 18 across its entire top. Currents of cool air 48 are drawn completely and continuously across the top surface of this body of water, emerging as heated currents of air 56). In the construction shown, the currents of cool air sweep across the surface of water '74 and escape across the top of end wall 89 or through opening or openings 82. As in the case of the body of water 64 in the upper basin the surface of the body of water 74 undergoes continuous change, due to the incoming of water from the upper basin and the outgoing of water from the lower basin through passageways 77. There is, therefore, a continuous heat interchange relationship established which further cools the water from upper fill pack 16. Not only is there this direct heat interchange, but an indirect heat interchange likewise takes place between the structure of the lower basin and the moving currents of cool air. The currents of air are moved continuously over the outside surface (side walls and bottom) of the basin, therefore implementing the cooling of the water in the basin. Furthermore, all of the water dropping through passageways 77 is brought into contact with the moving cool air.

It will be evident that the provisions of upper intermediate basin 62 and of lower intermediate basin 72, and the manner in which they are operated in conjunction with the currents of cooling air, et cetera, contribute substantially to the further cooling of the water. This arrangement is practicable, furthermore, in cooling towers of conventional cross-flow construction; particularly in those where the fill packs are arranged to compensate for the inevitable drift of the descending water that takes place due to the uni-directional flow of the currents of air.

The thus cooled Water passes downwardly through lower fill pack 18 where it is further cooled by the currents of air passing therethrough, in the conventional manner. The cooled water collects (FIG. 1) in a cold water basin S4- at the bottom of the fill pack. The basin is provided with a sump 86 depending therefrom; the sump in turn being provided with a cold water conduit 96 which connects the sump with the building so that the cold Water may be reused.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the above described example is by way of illustration and that the practice of the invention lends itself to a number of useful modifications.

I claim;

1. A water cooling tower of the air current, cross-flow type comp-rising superposed fill packs, means for causing air to flow horizontally through said fill packs, an inter mediate upper-level open-type water basin disposed below and extending in a generally horizontal direction C0111- pletely across the lower portion of the upper fill pack to catch in an openly-exposed single body the water doscending through the upper fill pack, means spacing the upper-level basin from the lower portion of the upper fill pack to permit the passage of cooling air currents across and in contact with an openly-exposed body of water in the upper-level basin and around and in contact with the exterior structure of the basin to facilitate cooling of the water, an intermediate lower-level open-top water basin disposed immediately below the upper-level basin and extending generally horizontally across the upper portion of the lower fill pack to catch in an openly-exposed single body the water descending from the upper-level basin, means spacing the lower-level basin from the bottom of the upper-level basin and from the top of the lower-fill pack to permit the passage of cooling air currents across and in contact with the openly-exposed body of water in the lower-level basin and around and in contact with the exterior structure of the lower-level basin to facilitate cooling of the water, the lower-level basin extending horizontally beyond the upper-level basin in one direction, a weir at the end of the upper-level basin adjacent said extended portion of the lower-level basin for damming up the water in the upper-level basin and for causing its flow thereover into the extended portion of the lower-level basin, and means for directing a current of air across the water in the lower-level basin, said lower-level basin being provided with a plurality of spaced passageways in its bottom for the passage and distribution of water across the top portion of the lower fill pack.

2. A water cooling tower according to claim. 1 in which an overflow conduit of predetermined fixed height is secured to the bottom of the lower-level basin and discharges onto basin 3. A water cooling tower according to claim 1 in which the end of the normal liquid level with at least one opening for the passage therethrough of currents of cooling air.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mart May 6, 1961 Fleisher Sept. 22, 1936 Coey May 2, 1939 Mart July 1, 1941 Green June 20, 1950 Mart Aug. 25, 1953 Fordyce v Jan. 1, 1957 Mart Feb. 3, 1959 

1. A WATER COOLING TOWER OF THE AIR CURRENT, CROSS-FLOW TYPE COMPRISING SUPERPOSED FILL PACKS, MEANS FOR CAUSING AIR TO FLOW HORIZONTALLY THROUGH SAID FILL PACKS, AN INTERMEDIATE UPPER-LEVEL OPEN-TYPE WATER BASIN DISPOSED BELOW AND EXTENDING IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION COMPLETELY ACROSS THE LOWER PORTION OF THE UPPER FILL PACK TO CATCH IN AN OPENLY-EXPOSED SINGLE BODY THE WATER DESCENDING THROUGH THE UPPER FILL PACK, MEANS SPACING THE UPPER-LEVEL BASIN FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE UPPER FILL PACK TO PERMIT THE PASSAGE OF COOLING AIR CURRENTS ACROXSS AND IN CONTACT WITH AN OPENLY-EXPOSED BODY OF WATER IN THE UPPER-LEVEL BASIN AND AROUND AND INCONTACT WITH THE EXTERIOR STRUCTURE OF THE BASIN TO FACILITATE COOLING OF THE WATER, AN INTERMEDIATE LOWER-LEVEL OPEN-TOP WATER BASIN DISPOSED IMMEDIATELY BELOW THE UPPER-LEVEL BASIN AND EXTENDING GENERALLY NORIZONTALLY ACROXS THE UPPER PORTION OF THE LOWER FILL PACK TO CATCH IN AN OPENLY-EXPOSED SINGLE BODY THE WATER DESCENDING FROM THE UPPER-LEVEL BASIN, MEANS SPACING THE LOWER-LEVEL BASIN FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE UPPER-LEVEL BASIN AND FROM THE TOP OF THE LOWER-FILL PACK TO PERMIT THE PASSAGE OF COOLING AIR CURRENTS ACROSS AND IN CONTACT WITH THE OPENLY-EXPOSED BODY OF WATER IN THE LOWER-LEVEL BASIN AND AROUND AND IN CONTACT WITH THE EXTERIOR STRUCTURE OF THE LOWER-LEVEL BASIN TO FACILITATE 